Three Tourists Missing in Northern Territory Outback

TWO Japanese men and a French woman have gone missing in the outback of central Australia after setting off on two separate treks.

Last night, the Japanese tourists failed to arrive from the Valley of the Winds walk at The Olgas.

The men had been dropped off at the start of the walk about 2pm (CST) yesterday by a bus that returned to collect them three hours later.

But the men – who were due to fly out of Yulara this morning – failed to return from the trek, and park rangers began a search last night.

A search is also on for the 22-year-old French woman who set out on a walk at Kings Canyon on Sunday.

She registered the walk with Parks and Wildlife rangers before setting out on the Giles Track from Kings Canyon about 11.30am (CST). [AAP]

The two Japanese missing at the Olgas is strange because it is hard to get lost at the Olgas. I have posted before about my journey to the Olgas, which has plenty of pictures of the same exact walk these two tourist got lost on. What I wouldn’t be surprised of is that these two did not bring enough water with them and were over come by the heat. The same logic may apply for the French woman lost at Kings Canyon as well. The problem I have with her is that she went hiking and camping overnight in the Outback by herself. This is usually not a good idea and I definitely do not recommend it.

I have done a lot hiking in Australia and the Outback is definitely the most challenging due to the heat, terrain, and lack of water that makes hiking with buddies really an essential safety measure.